By Zuko Komisa
The late 1940s came with a changing tide that gave
birth to an original style of jazz music called cool
jazz, a sound which was a reaction to the then
popular and funky fast paced bepop movement. This
was done using slower, relaxed and softer sounds.
Pioneers of Cool Jazz
Lester Young:
He had a very distinct cool jazz sound that made him
a victim of critics at the time. Making him one of
the most influential cool jazz musicians in his
generation. It came as a surprise that his sound was
so impactful that in the 1950s there were scores of
young saxaphonists that used him as inspiration for
their own sound.
One of his most iconic albums was Jazz Giants that
came out in 1956’s which is regarded today as one of
the turning points in the Jazz fraternity, with a
heavy cool jazz influence.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet:
David Warren Brubeck regarded as one of the pioneers
of cool jazz using his classical training and
unusual time signatures that set him apart to other
musicians of his time. His contribution to the cool
jazz movement can still be felt today. In the early
1950’s he formed a group ‘The Dave Brubeck Quartet’
which went on tour across the US and later released
his solo debut album
Jazz Goes to College in 1956 which saw him
make his own mark away from the quartet.
Free Jazz
Was a movement that followed the cool jazz movement
that became commonly known as the ‘avant-garde jazz’
and relied heavily on improvisation. The movement
drew inspiration from earlier jazz styles and was
heavily based on prehistoric, often reverent, with
echoes of the original versions of jazz. Early
pioneers of this genre were free jazz include:
Cecil Taylor
Ornette Coleman
John Coltrane